penda unveils undulating landscaped pavilion for china's garden expo

penda unveils undulating landscaped pavilion for china’s garden expo
all images courtesy of penda architecture and design

penda architecture and design has unveiled their proposal for a landscaped pavilion in china for the garden expo 2015. encompassing the natural elements, ‘where the river runs’ will be dedicated to highlighting the importance of clean water. referencing the landscape, heritage and location of wuhan, the architects have created a dialog, bringing together their proposal and the significant history of the river, which influenced historic figures and brought an abundance of flora and fauna to the people.

the pavilion is ‘an ode to water’

characterized by its undulating form, the artificial landscape is composed of a pathway which weaves through carefully formed hills and valleys. simultaneously, visitors are given seeds from different local flowers and fruits to plant along the ‘riverbed’ as they are guided through the grassland. intrinsically connected to nature, visitors are thoroughly immersed in the different planted, terrain-formations. following the train of scent and the colors eventually leads to a central plaza — a place for reflection and rest.

encompassing the natural landscape, the pavilion is being constructed for the garden expo 2015 in wuhan

‘water is life. water is the well of our origin. it is the main designer of our environment. water is the connecting circulation system of our world and a precious resource, on which life on earth survives. it makes up two thirds of our body, just like the map of the world. our vital fluids are mainly saline, the same as the ocean. water is our physical connection with the planet.’ – penda

at the entrance, visitors are given seeds to plant along the riverbed

a rainwater system allows water to be stored and reused for watering the plants within the pavilion

the scheme highlights the importance of clean water and the preservation of our natural environment

guided through the riverbed, various land formations become visible such as high cliffs or natural caves

diagram outlining the route of the pavilion

1/3